The Pines, Elanora
A major suburban shopping centre serving Elanora and the southern Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Pines, Elanora is a major shopping centre in the Gold Coast suburb of Elanora, Queensland, Australia. It opened on 9 March 1987 and has developed into a broad retail and services destination for surrounding southern Gold Coast communities. The centre contains more than 90 stores and retail services, combining supermarket shopping, discount department store retail, specialty shops, food and beverage outlets, and everyday services in a suburban centre format. A defining characteristic of The Pines is its combination of the three principal supermarket operators represented in the Australian market: Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. Kmart provides an additional major anchor, giving the centre a particularly comprehensive offer for groceries, household goods, apparel, general merchandise and routine shopping. This multi-anchor configuration distinguishes The Pines from many smaller suburban centres and supports both frequent convenience visits and larger weekly shopping trips. The centre underwent a substantial redevelopment beginning in January 2015. The project was reported to have a cost of A$30 million and included a major solar car-park installation, described in the reference material as the largest of its kind in Australia at the time. The redevelopment also involved nearly twenty new stores and the relocation of Woolworths. Works were completed in 2016. Around the redevelopment period, the centre recorded a 15.4% increase in retail sales, indicating stronger trading performance after or during the investment program. No current owner, parent group, listed status or executive leadership information is established in the supplied references. The Pines has also had a visible connection with screen production. The centre appeared in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding, the television series Mortified during 2006 and 2007, and the 2015 film San Andreas. For San Andreas, the location was presented as the fictional Bakersfield Mall. These appearances have given the otherwise locally focused shopping centre a degree of recognition beyond its normal retail catchment. Transport access is supported by The Pines Shopping Centre bus station, operated by Translink. The station is a ground-level facility with two side platforms and two bus stands on each platform. In September 2017, construction began to relocate the bus station. The relocated facility was completed in November 2017 and placed adjacent to the car-park facility along KP McGrath Drive. Together, the retail anchors, specialty stores, parking infrastructure and public-transport connection position The Pines as an established convenience and community shopping destination rather than a national consumer brand.
History
The Pines opened on 9 March 1987 in Elanora, a suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland. From its establishment, it served as a local and district-level shopping destination, providing residents with access to supermarkets, specialty retail and everyday services without requiring travel to larger metropolitan shopping complexes. Its location in the southern Gold Coast made it an important retail facility for nearby residential communities. Over time, The Pines developed a distinctive anchor-tenant mix. It became the only shopping centre on the southern Gold Coast represented by all three of Australia's major supermarket chains: Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. Kmart added a fourth major anchor, broadening the centre's offer beyond food retail into apparel, homewares, general merchandise and discount department-store shopping. Alongside these anchors, the centre contains more than 90 stores and retail services, supporting routine shopping, dining and personal-service needs. The centre's location also attracted film and television production. It was used in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and later appeared in the television series Mortified in 2006 and 2007. In 2015, it was used for the film San Andreas, where it was presented under the fictional name Bakersfield Mall. These productions gave The Pines an unusual cultural and media profile for a suburban shopping centre, although its principal role remained serving the local retail market. A major redevelopment commenced in January 2015 at a reported cost of A$30 million. The program expanded and refreshed the centre through the addition of nearly twenty new stores, relocation of the Woolworths supermarket and installation of a large solar car park. The solar installation was described as the largest solar car park in Australia at the time. The redevelopment was completed in 2016. Around this period, The Pines recorded a 15.4% increase in retail sales, suggesting that the upgraded facilities and expanded offer improved the centre's trading performance. Public transport access was provided through The Pines Shopping Centre bus station, operated by Translink. The original station was a ground-level facility with two side platforms and two bus stands on each platform. In September 2017, work began to move the station to a location adjacent to the car-park facility along KP McGrath Drive. The relocated station was completed in November 2017, improving the relationship between bus access and the centre's parking and retail facilities. The supplied reference material does not identify a founder, current owner, parent company, corporate group, executive team or formal listing status. The Pines is therefore best understood as a place-based retail centre brand whose identity is based on its location, anchor tenants, convenience proposition, transport access and role in the southern Gold Coast community.
- 2017
Relocated bus station completed
[1]The Translink bus station serving The Pines was relocated and completed in November beside the car-park facility on KP McGrath Drive.
- 2016
Redevelopment completed
[1]The redevelopment was completed, with the centre reporting a 15.4% increase in retail sales around the project period.
- 2015
Redevelopment begins
[1]A A$30 million redevelopment commenced, including new stores, a relocated Woolworths and a large solar car park.
- 2015
Appearance in San Andreas
[1]The centre appeared in San Andreas under the fictional name Bakersfield Mall.
- 2006
Appearance in Mortified
[1]The centre appeared in the television series Mortified during 2006 and 2007.
- 1994
Appearance in Muriel's Wedding
[1]The Pines was used as a filming location for the Australian film Muriel's Wedding.
- 1987
The Pines opens
[1]The shopping centre opened in Elanora on 9 March 1987.
Products and positioning
A comprehensive suburban shopping centre focused on groceries, household needs, general merchandise, specialty retail and convenient access for communities on the southern Gold Coast.
Shopping centre · 1987
Shopping-centre retail and services
The Pines provides a broad suburban retail mix of more than 90 stores and services. The centre combines supermarket shopping, general merchandise, apparel, food and beverage, specialty retail and everyday personal services. Its offer is designed around frequent local visits as well as larger grocery and household shopping trips.
Grocery retail
Supermarket precinct
The centre's supermarket offer includes Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. The presence of all three major supermarket brands gives The Pines an unusually broad grocery proposition for the southern Gold Coast and supports both routine convenience shopping and competitive comparison between major operators.
Discount department store
Kmart
Kmart functions as a fourth anchor tenant at The Pines. Its offer extends the centre beyond groceries into discount apparel, homewares, household products, toys and general merchandise, helping make the centre a one-stop destination for everyday consumer needs.
Public transport access
The Pines Shopping Centre bus station
The Translink-operated bus station serves the shopping centre and provides public-transport access for customers and staff. The relocated ground-level facility has two side platforms and two bus stands per platform, positioned near the centre's car-park facilities.
Brand decisions
2017
Relocation of the shopping-centre bus stationOtherBackground
The original Translink bus station required relocation to improve its placement relative to the centre's parking and facilities.
Action taken
Construction began in September 2017 and the bus station was moved beside the car-park facility along KP McGrath Drive.
Aftermath
The relocated station was completed in November 2017.
2015
Major centre redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The established shopping centre required investment to expand its retail offer and update customer infrastructure.
Action taken
A reported A$30 million redevelopment added nearly twenty stores, relocated Woolworths and installed a large solar car park.
Aftermath
The project was completed in 2016 and was associated with a reported 15.4% increase in retail sales.
Redevelopment cost. A$30 million investment (2015-2016)
Sources2 sources
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